While Zephyr was heading to the cafeteria on the ground floor for breakfast, on the 5th floor, Lucien kicked the table in his room in frustration, clearly angered beyond words.
"Ah, that damn old man!"
He cursed the original Lucien's father, all the way down to the old man's ancestors, only calming down after a full ten minutes, his face turning crimson in the process.
Last night, after bidding Zephyr farewell, Lucien had gone to meet the real Lucien's father, who had coldly summoned him.
He had been hopeful that maybe the old man was finally willing to help the foolish son he had abandoned, and that his days of poverty and being worked to the bone by the protagonist were coming to an end.
But that hope was doused with icy water when he had to wait outside the old man's office for three hours, only to be told by the latter's secretary to come the next morning because the old man's working hours were over for the day and he was going to rest!
Lucien had suppressed the strong urge to kick down the office door and drag the old man out for a talk. Quickly returning to his room, he was tempted to check on Zephyr, but by then it was too late, and, assuming the man might already be asleep, he didn't.
Early the next morning, he went to the old man's office again, but the words he heard left him dumbfounded. The original's father hadn't called him because he remembered the son he had abandoned, but because he wanted to talk about the new Esper that he and Jake had brought back yesterday. Only then did Lucien learn why so many guides had given Zephyr heated looks yesterday.
It was because Zephyr had 100% compatibility with all the guides!
Not just the guides under the Association—the old man said the Association had also checked with some guides outside it, and Zephyr's compatibility with even them was a perfect 100%! Thus, the Association was almost certain that he might have perfect compatibility with every guide in existence.
And here Lucien had thought he was the only one with perfect compatibility with Zephyr—but he was completely wrong!
Ultimately, he was told that Zephyr would be sent to the Association Lab to uncover why his compatibility with every guide was 100%—information that might finally give researchers some clues to improving the compatibility rates of others, something not yet achieved with current technology and understanding of Guides and Espers.
Worse, Lucien was ordered to take Zephyr to the Lab, as he had spent the most time with the man since his awakening. Before he could protest or refuse, knowing Zephyr was the sole hope of this world, the old man kicked him out of the office!
Lucien rubbed his throbbing toes, still aching from kicking the table, muttering under his breath with a dark expression.
"Damn it! The Association wants him to be a test subject, knowing full well how those crazy researchers in the Lab treat people! They've all lost their minds! Do they want him to turn evil and destroy the world?!"
He tiredly dropped back onto the bed, rubbing his face with both hands.
A bitter laugh escaped him.
"Crazy old bastards… If you want to die, then die! Just let me go back home first!"
Done venting, he took a deep breath and, after lying down for a while, finally cleared his mind. It had been over two weeks since he woke up as Lucien O'Connell. By now, he had already realized his position. After the original Lucien's father abandoned him, the Association, already fed up with him due to his foul and nasty personality, saw him as nothing more than a disposable guide.
On top of that, Lucien was also a pain for both the protagonist and the female lead!
Therefore, he knew that, as a weak guide, he had no power to stop the Association from sending Zephyr to the Lab. He could reveal that Zephyr was the only SSS-rank in existence, but no one would believe him—and if anyone did, they would demand to know exactly how he had discovered it.
Refusing to carry out the old man's order would change nothing, as someone else would simply take Lucien's place. Even if he warned Zephyr and urged him to flee, the man—blind and still naive to the world after just being released from prison—no matter how powerful would be captured easily.
The protagonist, Erick, could have handled this easily since the Association catered to his every need. But unfortunately, based on what Lucien discovered when he called him yesterday, Erick was likely already inside a powerful dungeon. By the time he returned, Zephyr would already be halfway through whatever horrors awaited him in the Lab.
"What should I do then?"
He rubbed his brow, then froze for a moment at his own actions so far.
"Wait, why am I getting so irritable lately? I know I've always had a foul mouth, but I've never lost my temper this much before…"
He abruptly sat up, a chill running down his spine as he recalled how he had already used his Gaya Skill on Zephyr twice.
"Haha… this damn skill is already messing with my mind this much? Wow…"
Lucien chuckled weakly, sweat beading on his forehead. He had made a big mistake—he should never have used the Gaya Skill when he already knew the consequences!
"I need to calm down. As a Guide, I don't have a natural mental barrier. Using the skill is affecting my rationality more. Luckily, I've only used it twice—the effects should fade soon, as long as I don't use it again."